In Which the Wisdom of Jamie is Confirmed

The inviting, yet dangerous Majuro road

This is a guest post from Andrew, in penance for not listening to Jamie when my subsequent experience truly proved her wisdom and judgment.

"Here is the taxi money," said Jamie as she stuffed two dollars in the pockets of my shorts. I was heading to our local car repairman to drop off our car. Our key was stuck in the ignition and wouldn't come out and our horn was broken. A horn is essential on this island to warn playing children, drunk adults, and stupid dogs. (More on that final group later.)

The shop is less than a mile away from our house, near the airport. I protested to Jamie that I wouldn't need the taxi money because I could just walk home. My dear wife reminded me that the one, narrow road we have on the island is not very suitable for walking, and it would be unsafe. I listened politely, but didn't really intend to take the taxi.

I dropped the car off without incident and started walking down the road. Our mechanic Benny asked with some amount of curiosity if I was going to take a taxi. I said it was a nice day and would just walk. He shrugged his shoulders and went to work on the car.

The walk was very enjoyable. I enjoyed Majuro's strange mix of beauty and refuse:

 

 

 

I also spent some time watching some kids play a game of baseball using pieces of cardboard as gloves and an old baseball. Some other kids nearby had turned a palm tree into a swinging vine. Marshallese children are very creative.

Then as I continued on the road, I spotted three dogs that had it out for me. I remembered that look in their eyes from my newspaper days. But, being a newspaper boy for ten years, I was also ready. They all charged at me, and I faced them head on with my fist down. (Alas, I didn't have a rock or I would have thrown that for sure.) As they ran past me, I turned in their direction and was backing away from the three when a fourth dog came from behind and got a good piece of my right calf. I had somehow had missed the fourth dog; or maybe he appeared only when he saw the fun everyone was having.

I hobbled away and hailed the next taxi.

At home I cleaned out the wounds, but they were pretty deep so I went to the hospital to get some antibiotics, as a preventative measure. My rabies and tetanus immunizations are all up to date (also there have never been any rabies cases on island), so we'll hope for no infection or further complications. Alas, I won't be able to go in the lagoon or play tennis for the next little bit. But, besides a small limp, I am fine. I guess I will need to carry around a couple of rocks with me at all times.

Or just always listen to my wife.